Communicating accelerator physics to schools in the UK

What is ‘Accelerate!’? What is it? A 45-minute interactive science show about particle & accelerator physics Who funds it? Funded July 2008, STFC (UK) Small Award for Public Engagement £7898 over 2 years Who runs it? Set up in 2007 between Oxford Physics (Suzie Sheehy – PhD student and Prof. Brian Foster - head of Particle Physics) and CERN (Emmanuel Tsesmelis - Directorate Office) Run by Suzie Sheehy + team of ~20 volunteers (mostly Oxford Physics PhD students) Who presents it? Around 10 Oxford Physics graduate students (+2 undergrads) who are trained in presenting style, safety etc… as part of program

Show Numbers: (since launch event, Dec. 2008) School shows: 32 Audience total = 3028 Public shows: 3 Audience total = 385 Teacher shows: 3 Audience total = 130 TOTAL = 3543 Projected total at 31/7/2010 = ~4500 Venues: Shows in Oxford: 16 Manchester (Big Bang Fair): 8 Nearby (Oxfordshire): 3 Leeds/York: 6 Kent: 2 Leicester: 2 London: 1

Outcomes Evaluation (489 respondents): 92.2% said the show was fun 91.4% viewed the presenters as role models 89.4% who weren’t interested in physics said they were more interested after watching the show We believe we have achieved: Public & schools engagement in PP & Accel Phys. Science communication skills for grad students Example of collaborative outreach program Set of demonstrations & ideas for outreach in future – Van de Graff, CLIC RF cavity, levitating superconductor, giant beach ball ‘wave’, plasma ball & fluoro tube etc…